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Team Needs Update

by
Ryan McDowell

Updated on March 17, 2019, 8:48 am ET

As you might have figured out by now, it’s been a wild week around here. The Rotoworld team covered all of the news and rumors of the legal tampering period earlier in the week and then backed that up with even more comprehensive coverage when things became official. Along with the hundreds of players blurbs posted this week, we’ve released podcasts and several articles breaking down all of the news of the week.

Rather than rehashing every single signing and trade, I wanted to take a team-by-team look, combing the excellent information from our writers. One month ago today, Evan Silva broke down every single team, sharing their top needs and available free agents. I’ll use that, along with Nick Mensio’s impressive work on the NFL Transactions Tracker to find how teams have addressed their top needs so far since the new league year officially began. As always, I’ll just be discussing the QB, RB, WR, and TE positions.

Arizona Cardinals

Top Needs: Wide Receiver

Key Additions: The Cardinals have done little but did take a flier on former Bears bust WR Kevin White. Don’t expect much from him.

Key Additions: The Ravens still have a major receiver need after losing WR John Brown and cutting veteran WR Michael Crabtree, but instead they have upgraded the backfield. After RB Alex Collins was arrested and later released, Baltimore looked to former Saints RB Mark Ingram to a three-year deal. His fantasy value gets a nice boost despite leaving the high-powered New Orleans offense.

Key Additions: The Panthers have made no notable moves among offensive skill position players, though they did lose WR Devin Funchess

Chicago Bears

Top Needs: Wide Receiver

Key Additions: We’ve heard the rumors that Chicago is shopping RB Jordan Howard, which makes the addition of veteran RB Mike Davis interesting. Chicago also signed WR and kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson to a two-year deal.

Cincinnati Bengals

Top Needs: Quarterback

Key Additions: Zilch. That’s what the Bengals have done to improve their offense.

Cleveland Browns

Top Needs: None

Key Additions: Cleveland looked like a stacked team on offense entering free agency but that didn’t stop them from being very aggressive. The Browns made a franchise-altering trade for WR Odell Beckham and are now among the favorites to win the AFC in 2019. Cleveland also added depth in the form of TE Demetrius Harris.

Dallas Cowboys

Top Needs: Tight End, Slot Receiver

Key Additions: Evan identified tight end and slot receiver as the primary needs of the Cowboys and Dallas landed unretired TE Jason Witten and re-signed WR Tavon Austin. We should still consider both of these areas of need for the Cowboys.

Denver Broncos

Top Needs: Quarterback

Key Additions: The Broncos traded for veteran QB Joe Flacco over a month ago, which allowed them to move QB Case Keenum to the Redskins in a subsequent deal. Other than that, their offense has received little attention. Denver is still being rumored to draft a quarterback in the first round of the upcoming draft.

Detroit Lions

Top Needs: Wide Receiver, Tight End

Key Additions: The Lions were the most active team early in the legal tampering period, but it didn’t really result in much fantasy upside. Detroit added veteran WR Danny Amendola and TE Jesse James, along with retaining RB Zach Zenner.

Green Bay Packers

Top Needs: None

Key Additions: The Packers had major needs on defense and that is where their focus has been in the early part of the new league year. They did re-sign veteran TE Marcedes Lewis.

Houston Texans

Top Needs: None

Key Additions: The Texans were a rumored landing spot for superstar RB Le’Veon Bell but that seemed to be nothing more than a rumor. Otherwise, the Texans have been very quiet, especially on offense.

Indianapolis Colts

Top Needs: Wide Receiver

Key Additions: The Colts signed veteran WR Devin Funchess to a one-year deal. After an overall disappointing tenure in Carolina, playing with QB Andrew Luck is the perfect way to revitalize a career. That’s what Funchess hopes to do and he should still be an inexpensive fantasy

Jacksonville Jaguars

Top Needs: Quarterback, Wide Receiver, Tight End

Key Additions: The Jags made the move we all knew they would, signing QB Nick Foles to a massive four-year deal and finally closing the door on QB Blake Bortles, who was released. The Jaguars have a hole at tight end after declining the option of TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

Kansas City Chiefs

Top Needs: None

Key Additions: With veteran RB Spencer Ware entering free agency, the Chiefs signed former Jaguars and Browns RB Carlos Hyde to a one-year contract. Hyde carries some name value as a long-time starter in the league, but this should give us even more confidence in RB Damien Williams, at least until the Chiefs draft a rookie back.

Los Angeles Chargers

Top Needs: Quarterback, Wide Receiver

Key Additions: The Chargers added veteran QB Tyrod Taylor, who is a reliable backup for QB Philip Rivers but obviously not a player they would look to in the future. The Chargers lost WR Tyrell Williams and have not added another receiver to fill that void.

Los Angeles Rams

Top Needs: None

Key Additions: The Rams have focused on defense with this offensive core set for another playoff run in 2019.

Miami Dolphins

Top Needs: Quarterback

Key Additions: The Dolphins are entering what everyone knows is a rebuilding, or tanking, year. This makes all of their moves, or lack of moves, scrutinized even more than normal. We’re not exactly sure who will quarterback this team and Miami has not released QB Ryan Tannehill yet, as some expected they would. They did surprisingly re-sign WR DeVante Parker and also added bulky veteran TEs Dwayne Allen and Clive Walford.

Minnesota Vikings

Top Needs: Wide Receiver

Key Additions: The Vikings have yet to add an offensive skill position player.

New England Patriots

Top Needs: Tight End, Wide Receiver

Key Additions: The Patriots have been sneakily quiet, re-signing WR Phillip Dorsett and adding special teams ace RB Brandon Bolden after his short stint with the Dolphins. New England also signed former Redskins WR Maurice Harris and slot man Bruce Ellington. They continue to wait for an official decision from TE Rob Gronkowski regarding his plans for the future.

New Orleans Saints

Top Needs: Tight End, Running Back

Key Additions: The Saints retained backup QB Teddy Bridgewater after he flirted with the Dolphins and they also signed veteran RB Latavius Murray to replace RB Mark Ingram. Murray will be a nice, undervalued options in all fantasy formats.

New York Giants

Top Needs: Quarterback

Key Additions: Along with a massive need at quarterback, the Giants created a hole at the receiver position after giving away WR Odell Beckham. They did sign veteran WR Golden Tate, who should easily lead this receiving corps, though expect RB Saquon Barkley and TE Evan Engram to be QB Eli Manning’s true top targets.

New York Jets

Top Needs: None

Key Additions: While they entered the offseason with bigger needs, the Jets have been doling out cash at the fantasy-relevant positions. Of course, the headline move was signing RB LeVeon Bell to a four-year deal, paying him over $52 million. They also signed WRs Jamison CrowderJosh Bellamy. Bell should be the focal point of this offense, allowing QB Sam Darnold to grow into his game.

Oakland Raiders

Top Needs: Tight End, Wide Receiver

Key Additions: The Raiders made one of the bigger moves of the past week, acquiring WR Antonio Brown from the Steelers and giving him a new contract. Oakland desperately needed help at receiver after trading WR Amari Cooper during last season. As if that wasn’t enough, Oakland also signed the player some considered the best receiver on the free agent market, former Charger WR Tyrell Williams. QB Derek Carr should be a happy man. Oakland still needs to address the tight end position, assuming veteran TE Jared Cook leaves for a new team.

Philadelphia Eagles

Top Needs: Wide Receiver

Key Additions: The Eagles have been desperate to find a deep threat at receiver and they did that with a familiar face, trading for WR DeSean Jackson, whom they drafted in 2008. Jackson has already been praising QB Carson Wentz and the Philly offense.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Top Needs: None

Key Additions: The Steelers created a need at the wide receiver position when they traded future Hall of Fame WR Antonio Brown. While they won’t be replacing Brown’s production in the lineup, they did sign veteran WR Donte Moncrief to a two-year pact.

San Francisco 49ers

Top Needs: None

Key Additions: The Niners parted ways with WR Pierre Garcon last month, and then took a chance on WR Jordan Matthews. They’ve also upgraded the backfield, signing former Falcons RB Tevin Coleman to a two-year deal. Coleman, who played under 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan while with Atlanta, joins a crowded backfield including RBs Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida.

Seattle Seahawks

Top Needs: None

Key Additions: Seattle did not have any offensive skill position needs among their top three and they have yet to add a player at any of those positions.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Top Needs: None

Key Additions: The Bucs dumped one speedy wideout when they dealt veteran WR DeSean Jackson, but they quickly replaced him with another deep threat in WR Breshad Perriman, who asked out of his Browns contract following the acquisition of Beckham. They probably aren’t done at the receiver position.

The Titans needed another receiver and they got one, paying slot WR Adam Humphries $9 million per year over four after his breakout 2017 season. He will man the inside with WR Corey Davis and presumably WR Taywan Taylor on the outside, though there is still potential to add a body to unseat Taylor.

Obviously, quarterback was the top need for Washington with QB Alex Smith’s injury so they went out and traded for former Denver and Minnesota starter QB Case Keenum. It is a low-upside move but was also a cheap acquisition and they could still add a rookie signal caller. The Redskins also re-signed veteran RB Adrian Peterson to compete with RB Derrius Guice.